Think about lab safety and please first check out this Youtube video created by U.S Chemical Safety Board, CSB, covering several most representative tragedies in laboratories.

(a) UCLA graduate student, Sheri Sangji, 23 years old, died (01/16/2009) from the burning (12/29/2008) of ter-butyl lithium(LitBu). ("Learning from UCLA" by C&EN)

(b) Chemistry Professor Karen Wetterhahn lost her life several months after an accidence of exposure to toxic dimethyl mecury, Hg(CH3)2 happened on 08/14/1996. (see Wikipedia message)

(c) A graduate student from Texas Tech. Uni. lost fingers in the handling of a high-energy metal compound, a derivative of nickel hydrazine perchlorate, which suddenly detonated in 01/07/2010. (see more on CSB's investigation report)